Top 10 Republicans of the Decade | No. 7: Donald Rumsfeld

As the first decade of the 2000s comes to a close, GOPToast offers its list of the top 10 Republicans of the decade. This is not a "best of" list; it's a list of the Republicans whose actions most altered their party's course over the past ten years. They may be famous, they may be infamous, they may fall somewhere in between. Here they are, the top 10 Republicans of the decade.

DONALD RUMSFELD

Donald Rumsfeld, during his six years as secretary of defense for the George W. Bush administration, compiled quite the resumé. Architect of the Afghanistan war, architect of the Iraq war, general molder of the Bush doctrine – Rumsfeld did it all.

Was he controversial? Yeah. Did he sharply divide Americans? Eventually. Was he doing the best he could in uncertain times? Damn sure appeared that way. Rumsfeld was the first secretary of defense to serve during the clear time of definition between the Cold War and the War on Terror. After the inconsequential men who served this Cabinet position during the Bill Clinton years, it was up to Rumsfeld, especially after Sept. 11, to shape the position for future generations. While Robert Gates may not work the same way as his predecessor, the tone was set by Rumsfeld though.

Beyond just his transformation of the secretary of defense position, Rumsfeld played huge role in the 2006 midterm election. At this point an embattled Cabinet member, a Rumsfeld resignation prior to the election would have showed Americans that Bush and the Republicans were serious about bringing in new blood and changing the status quo in Washington. Instead, Rumsfeld waited to resign until after Republicans were trounced in the 2006 midterm elections. Had his resignation come just days earlier, 2006 could have played out completely differently.